Los Angeles traffic from above

[geoff189d]

Great photos. Nice to see something different.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Originally Posted by LAsam

Those are fantastic! Looks like my good friend, "The 405", makes a few appearances. We have a love/hate relationship.

You love to hate it?

Amazing photos, even though I hated getting caught in any of that when I lived in Southern California.

[sbarn]

Originally Posted by LAsam

Well just because this set of photos highlights freeways doesn't mean we don't have publice transportation! Granted... we're no NYC... but we're evolving fairly rapidly. Traffic in NYC is no picnic either.

I'm well aware, I grew up in California. I sold my car and moved to New York... Still miss the sunshine out there though!!

[PHX31]

Wow, I was mesmerized by those pictures.. not just the traffic pictures, but the built environment of LA. I could stare at those for hours.

[staff]

That's such an insane amount of traffic. Fantastic aerial shots too.

[ChrisLA]

For as big as Los Angeles is, the traffic in these photo IMO doesn't look all that bad. Granted I was born and raised in LA, and only spent 5 years of my life away living in other cities. So its pretty much what the norm for me, I live with it everyday.

There is no doubt that anyone who been to this city knows it has heavy traffic at times. Yet there are other times of the day, and year that you can get to most areas of the metro in mere mins. I don't care what anyone says, and others are in agreement with me on this. But the New York City metro is about two times worst than anything I've seen and experienced in LA.

So we're not the only ones, and IMO no the worst. I like to see aerials of the expressways and city streets around NY, and hell even Chicago because its no walk in the park either (I lived there at one time).

[213]

^ Unfortunately, greater Los Angeles traffic is consistently ranked worst in national studies by the Texas Transportation Institute...



When measured in isolation from Long Beach and Santa Ana, L.A.'s annual delay hours exceed 90.

[ChrisLA]

Overall those stats are most likely true. Yet I still stand by my statement that the NY metro, as well as Chicago are just as bad and probably worst in other ways. Ever tried getting to New Jersey from lower Manhattan 3pm in the afternoon. It's probably one of the worst nightmare an american will every experience in this country. Just about anywhere on the north side of Chicago near the lakefront will make any Angeleno pull out the gun and start shooting people.

I will never deny LA traffic can be brutal. Yet I've seen, and experience far worst in New York, and at times during my stay in Chicago than I ever have in LA. To me it is much more stressful driving in those two cities than LA. If LA driving conditions was as bad, believe me all those folks wouldn't be driving their cars. For sure they would hop on the bus and trains to avoid the conditions they have to deal with everyday.

[latennisguy]

Originally Posted by 213

^ Unfortunately, greater Los Angeles traffic is consistently ranked worst in national studies by the Texas Transportation Institute...



When measured in isolation from Long Beach and Santa Ana, L.A.'s annual delay hours exceed 90.

we can quote and quote all we want...no one really knows for sure.

Forbes: Atlanta traffic the worst in America
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No, it's not just you, metro Atlanta drivers -- the traffic is the absolute worst in the United States, according to Forbes.com.

Forbes analyzed the 75 biggest American metros, tracking traffic delays, travel times and how efficiently commuters use existing infrastructure. Forbes also based its rankings on information from the Texas Transportation Institute and the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 American Community Survey.

After crunching the numbers., Atlanta was ranked worst, besting even perennial traffic leaders such as Los Angeles, Houston and Washington, D.C.

Forbes says of Atlanta traffic: "Here, in the fastest-growing city in America, more people flood the roadways than the infrastructure can handle. Commuters spend 60 hours a year stuck in traffic, second only to those in Los Angeles. If that weren't bad enough, Atlanta is so spread out that only 29 percent of drivers get to and from work in less than 20 minutes, the third worst rate in the country, and 13 percent spend more than an hour getting to work, the fourth worst rate in the country. The local train system doesn't service the entire city, and thus fails to relieve the pressure."

Behind Atlanta from second to 10th are: Detroit; Miami, Fla.; Orlando, Fla.; Dallas; Tampa, Fla.; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; Houston; and San Francisco.

[mhays]

Seattle has officially opted out of replying to the Texas Transportation Institute because we consider their numbers BS.

[213]

Behind Atlanta from second to 10th are: Detroit; Miami, Fla.; Orlando, Fla.; Dallas; Tampa, Fla.; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; Houston; and San Francisco.

Congestion in Detroit is not pleasant, but 2nd-worst in the nation...? Worse than L.A. or D.C.?

[Delirium]

somewhat related but i created this video that show lots of LA, traffic and general urban scenes to the song "Skyscraper"

• Video Link

[pegasusbsb27]

Jesus Christ!!!

[Austinlee]

NEEDS MORE LANESSS!!!!! The highways should be 50 lanes wide in every direction. That would solve it.

[10023]

Originally Posted by ChrisLA

Ever tried getting to New Jersey from lower Manhattan 3pm in the afternoon.

Fine but why would you ever want to do that?

And it would be pretty quick on the PATH anyway.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

The second from last photo... the blue building in the middle of the cloverleaf ramp... is that the CHiPs headquarters?

Don't know if it's the headquarters, but it is a CHiPs station, among others scattered about here and there.

[ChrisLA]

Originally Posted by 10023

Fine but why would you ever want to do that?

And it would be pretty quick on the PATH anyway.

Believe it or not, many people still do drive in New York. Outside of Manhattan, there are still plenty of cars that lined the residental streets of the city. Even though many may work in Manhattan, a good number of residents still own cars.

But to answer you question. Since I don't live there, I was in a rental car and drove down to DC. At other times I was just heading to another city to visit and PATH wasn't as useful to me.

[ethereal_reality]

L.A.'s traffic problems go waaaaay back.


USC archive


above: A 1947 photograph showing the southbound lanes
of Arroyo Seco Parkway backed up at the Figueroa Tunnels.

[ady26]

This is sick man!

[Complex01]

Great idea. Love the photos. Reminds of Houston traffic at times. But all in all very kewl...